Address labeler means

ABSTRACT

A machine and method for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive labels to flat articles. The method and machine according to this invention are particularly suitable for applying address labels to envelopes. The apparatus includes feed rolls which are intermittently operated to deliver envelopes into a first set of pinch rolls. The first set of pinch rolls is continuously driven and grips the envelope while driving the envelope to a second set of pinch rolls/ The second set of pinch rolls is driven at a speed corresponding to the speed of the first set of pinch rolls. A labeling head is positioned between the first and second pinch rollers and applies a label to the article as the article is driven between the pinch rolls. The article is gripped by at least one of the pinch rolls while the label is applied.

March 20, 1973 T. R. PITUCH ET AL ADDRESS LABELER MEANS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed NOV. 12, 1970 I lllllulll 4 a m max Nuc 2w Mmrm 2 5; MM 0 A #Z755v. a

ArroPA/EYS March 20, 1973 T. R. PITUCH ET AL ADDRES S LABELER MEANS 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 12, 1970 INVENTORS a WWW m d 0M pmm e5 6% Wm WM; 6

58% m M M M United States Patent O 3,721,601 ADDRESS LABELER MEANSThomas R. Pituch, Blackwood, N.J., and Stanley E. Truesdell and Brian W.Winston, Mentor, Ohio, assignors to Avery Products Corporation, SanMarino, Calif.

Filed Nov. 12, 1970, Ser. No. 88,673

Int. Cl. B44c 1/24 US. Cl. 156-542 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Amachine and method for applying pressure-sensitive adhesive labels tofiat articles. The method and machine according to this invention areparticularly suitable for applying address labels to envelopes. Theapparatus includes feed rolls which are intermittently operated todeliver envelopes into a first set of pinch rolls. The first set ofpinch rolls is continuously driven and grips the envelope while drivingthe envelope to a second set of pinch rolls. The second set of pinchrolls is driven at a speed corresponding to the speed of the first setof pinch rolls. A labeling head is positioned between the first andsecond pinch rollers and applies a label to the article as the articleis driven between the pinch rolls. The article is gripped by at leastone of the pinch rolls while the label is applied.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Machines have been designed to automaticallyapply address labels to flat surfaces such as postcards, envelopes,brochures, catalogues, etc. These machines automatically applypressure-sensitive labels and eliminate time-consuming, piece-by-piecelabel application. Such machines generally include feed rolls which areintermittently operated to pick successive blank envelopes from a stackand deliver such envelopes to a conveyor. The conveyor consists of aplurality of parallel, constantly driven belts which carry the envelopeto a labeling head. Each envelope is stopped by a gate beneath thelabeling head and the head applies a label to the envelope. The gate isthen removed and the conveyor carries the labelled envelope from themachine. Gravity type hold-down rolls are provided along the extent ofthe belts at spaced intervals to prevent any substantial misalignment ofthe envelope on the belt. Of course, the gate tends to properly alignthe envelope beneath the labeling head.

Although such machines are suitable for their intended purposes and arecapable of applying up to 10,000 labels per hour on envelopes, themachines are complex, heavy, and large, due in part to theintermittently operating gate mechanism, and to the relatively longconveyor belt reach between the feed rolls and the labeling head.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONN This invention provides an address labelerwhich eliminates the need for relatively long conveyors between the feedrolls and the labeling head and which securely grasps and drives eachenvelope on a continuous basis through the labeling station while alabel is being applied. The machine according to this inventioneliminates the need for a stopping gate to properly align the envelopeto thus reduce the size and complexity of the machine.

According to this invention, an addressing labeler includes means formaintaining a stacked array of envelopes and means for feedingindividual envelopes from the stacked array to a label-applying positionbeneath a labeling head. First and second pinch roll means are locatedat opposite ends of the label-applying position and these pinch rollsare spaced apart a distance less than the longitudinal extent (measuredin the feed direction) of 3,721,601 Patented Mar. 20, 1973 the envelope.A label is applied to each envelope while the envelope is driven andgripped by at least one of the pinch roll means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONReferring now to the drawings, a labeling machine 10 is illustrated. Themachine 10 includes an envelope hopper 11 mounted between side plates 12and 13. The hopper 11 is located at the rear or infeed end of themachine and includes side guide plates 14 and 15 and a base plate 16.The base plate 16 carries a stacked, fanned array of envelopes 18 andslopes downwardly toward a feed roll assembly 19. The side plates 14 and15 are laterally adjustable by means (not shown) so that envelopeshaving varying widths may be fed through the machine.

As may be seen most clearly in FIG. 3, the feed roll assembly 19includes first and second upper feed rolls 20 and 21, and a lowerstationary roll 22. he feed roll is mounted on and is intermittentlydriven by a shaft. The feed roll 20 is a rubber knurled roll rotatablymounted in a carriage 20a which is pivoted to the shaft 24 and which isprovided with a weight W. The feed roll 20 is intermittently driven by aroll 20b which frictionally engages the roll 20 and the roll 21. Thestationary roll 22 is mounted on a shaft 25 which is mounted on aU-shaped bracket (not shown), which in turn is mounted on a cross bar(not shown) extending between the plates 12. and 13. The roll 22 isadjustable toward and away from the surface of the roll 21 by means (notshown) to accommodate the thickness of a single envelope 18.

Each envelope 18 is successively fed by the feed roll assembly to afirst pair of pinch rolls 26 and 27. The pinch rolls 26 and 27 aremounted on and are continuously driven by drive shafts 28 and 29,respectively. Each envelope is driven by the rolls 26 and 27 across alabeling table 30 and then to a second pair of pinch rolls 31 and 32.The pinch roll 31 comprises a plurality of rollers 33, 34, and 35 whichare mounted on a shaft 36. The shaft 36 is mounted in bearings (notshown) and is biased against the roll 32 by springs 37 and 38. The pinchrolls 26 and 27 also comprise an array of individual rollerscorresponding to the rollers 33-35. The pinch roll 32 has a knurledsurface and is continuously driven to continuously drive the pinch roll31.

The pinch rolls 31 and 32 are spaced from the pinch rolls 26 and 27 adistance which is less than the longitudinal extent (measured in thefeed direction) of the envelopes 18. The pinch rolls 26 and 27 are alsospaced from the feed rolls 21 and 22 a distance which is less than thelongitudinal extent of the envelopes 18. Thus an envelope passing fromthe feed roll assembly 19 to the pinch rolls 26 and 27 and then to thepinch rolls 31 and 32 is gripped by at least one pair of rolls 31-32,26-27, or 2122 during its travel through the machine.

As an envelope passes along the labeling table 30, one of a series oflabels 48 is applied to the envelope. Each label 48 is apressure-sensitive adhesive label carried by a backing web 41.Thebacking web 41 is intermittently driven about a peel bar 42 so thateach label 40 is peeled from the backing web 41 and is directed towardthe envelope 18 as is indicated in FIG. 3. As the label 40 is peeledfrom the web 41, its leading edge contacts the envelope and is appliedthereto by an optional weighted roller 43. The roller 43 may be omittedsince, during a labeling operation, the web 41 is fed at the samesurface speed as the envelope, or slightly less than the surface speedof the envelope, so that the label 40 is positively fed onto theenvelope 18 and adheres thereto by its pressure-sensitive engagement.The rolls 32 and 33 insure proper adhesion between the label andenvelope when the envelope passes between these rolls.

The pinch rolls 32-33 and 26-27 are continuously driven and the feedrollers 20 and 21 are intermittently driven by a mechanism which will behereinafter explained so that their surface speeds are identical.

The web 41 is continuous and is folded in accordion fashion in a supplybin 50. The web 41 is trained from the bin 50 across first and secondguide bars 51 and 52, respectively. The web 41 is then trained over aback corner of a box holder 53 which supports the bin 50 and then over aguide bar 54 which is mounted between intermediate side plates 56 and57. In order to maintain the web 41 in a centered position as it travelsover the guide bar 54, there is provided a pair of spaced guide members58 and 59 on the bar 54.

After passing over the bar 54, the web 41 is trained through a sensingdevice 60 which includes a light source 61 and a photosensitive devicesuch as a photo transistor 62. The light source 61 extends through ablock 63 which is mounted on a crossbar 64 by a torsion spring 65 sothat the block 63 is biased against the label carrying side of the web41 to exert a predetermined drag on the web 41. The photo transistor 62is mounted in a crossbar 66 which extends between the intermediate sideplates 56 and 57. The purpose and function of the sensing device 60 willhereinafter become apparent.

The web 41 is then trained behind a guide bar 70 which is fixed at itsends to the intermediate side plates 56 and 57 and which includes sideguide members 71 and 72. The web 41 is then wrapped around the peel bar42, which, as may be seen most clearly in FIG. 3, has a flattenedportion 73 which aids in peeling the labels from the web so that whenthe web is flexed over the flattened portion 73, the labels 40 will bepeeled from the web.

To intermittently advance the web 41, there is provided a pull rollassembly 74. The pull roll assembly 74 includes an intermittently drivenroll 75 and an idler roll 76 which is biased against the roll 75 byspring means (not shown). The roll 76 is mounted on a shaft 77 and theroll 75 is mounted on an intermittently driven shaft 78. The web 41 istrained around the rolls 75 and 76 in the manner indicated in FIG. 3,and the web 41 then extends to a spent web take-up spool 79. To aid ininitially training the web through the assembly 74, there is provided athreading shoe 74a. The threading shoe 74a guides the web 41 around theroll 76. The take-up spool 79 is rotatably mounted on the intermediateside plate 56 and has a projecting end portion 80 which is driven by abelt (not shown) extending between the spool 79 and the shaft 78 to windthe web 41 about the spool 79 as the web 41 is fed through the machine.

To aid in initially training the web 41 through the machine, means areprovided to tip the intermediate side plates and their associatedelements in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, so thatthe peel bar 42 and the roller 43 are raised from the labeling plate 30.To this end, the side plates 56 and 57 are rotatably, and thereforepivotally, mounted on the shaft 78 by bushings (not shown) in the sideplates 56 and 57 and the center of gravity of the side plates 56 and 57and the elements carried thereby tend to tip in a clockwise direction asviewed in FIG. 1. The side plates 56 and 57, however, are restrained bya stop bar 83 which extends between the side plates 12 and 13 and whichabuts recessed portions 81 and 82 in the side plates 56 and 57,respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 4, a drive arrangement for the machine 10is illustrated. The drive includes a motor and a speed reducer 91. Thespeed reducer 91 has an output shaft 92 with a first sprocket 93 mountedthereon. The output shaft -92 extends through the side plate 12 andcarries a second sprocket 94 at its end. The sprocket 93 engages a chain95 which drives a sprocket 96. The sprocket 96 is associated with aclutch 97 mounted on a cross shaft 98, which extends between the sideplates 12 and 13. Adjacent the side plate 13, there is provided a brake99 for the shaft 98. The shaft 98 extends through the side plate 13 andhas a sprocket 100 mounted thereon. A chain 101 extends from thesprocket 100 and drives a sprocket 102 which is mounted on an end of theshaft 78 which extends through the side plate 13.

As was previously indicated, the shaft 78 is intermittently driven, andthe clutch 97 and the brake 99 are pro vided for the purpose. Thus, asan envelope is fed across the labeling table 30, the leading edge of theenvelope breaks a light beam provided by a light source 105. The lightbeam 105 is directed toward a photosensitive device such as a phototransistor 106 which is mounted on the stop bar 83. When the intensityof the leight beam is changed, the photo transistor, through suitablecircuitry (not shown), operates switch means (not shown) to release thebrake 99 and engage the clutch 97 so that the shaft 78 drives the pullroll assembly 74 in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. Theswitch means which operates the brake 99 and the clutch 97 is providedwith an adjustable time delay device (not shown) to permit the envelopeto be driven to a predetermined labeling position on the table 30. Thispermits a label to be applied to a predetermined portion of the envelope(measured in the feed direction). To apply a label to different lateralportions of the envelope, the entire labeling head may be shifted bysliding the plates 56 and 57, and therefore their associated elements,along the shaft 78.

By driving the web 41 in the foregoing manner, a label 40 is dispensedonto a predetermined portion of the envelope passing along the table 30.As the web 41 moves, the sensing device will alternately sense a darkarea (a label) and a light area (a space between adjacent labels), andactivate the photo transistor 62. When the cell 62 senses a change fromdark to light to dark, and after a short time delay to thereby permitthe leading edge of the next dispensed label to be partially peeled fromthe web 41, the cell 62, through suitable circuitry (not shown),releases the clutch 97 and engages the brake 99 to stop the drive of thepull roll assembly 74.

As was previously indicated, the feed roll assembly 19 is intermittentlydriven and the pinch rolls 26, 27, 32, and 33 are continuously driven.This is accomplished in a manner which will now be explained.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, a chain 110 is engaged by the sprocket94 and extends to sprockets 111 and 112. The sprocket 112 is mounted onan end of the roll 32, which extends through the side plate 12 and,since the chain 110 is continuously driven, the roll 32 is continuouslydriven. The sprocket 111 is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 113, whichis fixed in the side plate 12. There is provided a spur gear 114 on theend of the shaft 113. The spur gear 114 drives a gear 115 which isrotatably mounted on a stub shaft 116 fixed in the side plate 12. A gear118 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 116 and is fixed to the gear 115.The gear 118 drives a gear 117, which is mounted on an end of the shaft29 extending through the side plate 12. The shaft 28 extends through theside plate 12 and carries a gear 120, which cooperates with the gear 117so that the pinch rolls 26 and 27 are driven at the same peripheralspeed.

The gear 115 cooperates with a clutched gear 121. The gear 121 isconstantly driven and is associated with an electrically operated clutch122. The clutch 122 is positioned between the gear 121 and a gear 123which is mounted on a stub shaft 124. The gear 123 is intermitentlyoperated by engagement of the clutch 122 and the clutch 122 is, in turn,operated in response to actuation of a finger switch 125 (FIG. 3). Theactuating end of the finger switch 125 is positioned between the pinchrolls 26 and 27 and the switch 125 is electrically actuated when theactuating end of the switch senses the absence of an envelope betweenthose pinch rolls.

When the finger switch 125 senses the absence of an envelope, the clutch122 is engaged so that the gear 123 is driven with the gear 121. Thegear 123 then drives a gear 132 which is mounted on a projecting end ofthe shaft 24 to thereby drive the feed roll 21, and therefore the roll20.

The feed rolls 20 and 21 are driven in this manner at the sameperipheral speed whenever there is an absence of an envelope depressingthe switch, and therefore an absence of an envelope 18 between the pinchrolls 26 and 27. When there is such an absence, the feed roll 20 slidesthe topmost envelope along the base plate 16, between the stationaryroll 22 and the driven roll 21 and then to the pinch rolls 26 and 27.Immediately after the envelope has been gripped and is being driven bythe pinch rolls 26 and 27, the finger switch 125 is actuated and theclutch 122 is disengaged so that the feed rolls 20 and 21 idle as theenvelope is drawn through them.

The invention is not restricted to the slavish imitation of each andevery detail set forth above. Obviously, devices may be provided whichchange, eliminate, or add certain specific details without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Label applying means including means for maintaining a stacked arrayof flat articles, feed means for feeding individual articles from saidstacked array to a label applying position beneath a labeling head, feeddrive means for intermittently operating said feed means, first pinchroll means for positively gripping and moving articles from said feedmeans to said label applying position, second pinch roll means forpositively gripping and moving articles from said label applyingposition, said first and second pinch roll means being spaced apart adistance less than the longitudinal extent (measured in the feeddirection) of the articles, said labeling head being positioned betweensaid first and second pinch roll means so that an article passingbeneath said head is driven and gripped by at least one of said rollmeans while a label is applied to the article, sensing means fordetecting the presence and absence of an article gripped by said firstpinch roll means, means responsive to said sensing means for operatingsaid feed drive means when an article is not detected at said firstpinch roll means and for stopping said feed drive means when an articleis detected at said first pinch roll means.

2. Label applying means according to claim 1, including means tocontinuously drive said first 'and second pinch roll means.

3. Label applying means, including means for maintaining a stacked arrayof fiat articles, feed roll means for removing successive articles fromsaid stacked array, feed roll drive means for intermittently operatingsaid feed roll means, first and second pinch roll means for positivelygripping and moving articles from said feed means, label head meansbetween said first and said second pinch roll means adapted to apply alabel to each article moving between said first and second pinch rollmeans, said first pinch roll means being positioned between said secondpinch roll means and said feed roll means and being spaced from saidsecond pinch roll means and said feed roll means a distance less thanthe longitudinal extent (measured in the feed direction) of thearticles, whereby an article fed through said label applying means isdriven and gripped at all times by at least one of said roll means,sensing means for detecting the presence and absence of an articlegripped by said first pinch roll means, means responsive to said sensingmeans for operating said feed roll drive means to drive said feed rollmeans when an article is not detected at said first pinch roll means andfor discontinuing the operation of said feed roll drive means to stopthe drive of said feed roll means when an article is detected at saidfirst pinch roll means.

4. Label applying means according to claim 3, including means tocontinuously drive said pinch roll means.

5. Label applying means including means for maintaining a stacked arrayof flat articles, feed roll means for removing successive articles fromsaid stacked array, means to intermittently drive said feed roll means,first and second pinch roll means for positively gripping and movingarticles from said feed roll means, means to continuously drive saidpinch roll means, label head means between said first and second pinchroll means adapted to apply a label to each article moving between saidfirst and second pinch roll means, said label head including a peel bar,drive means for incrementally moving a continuous web over a portion ofsaid peel bar, said web carrying a multiplicity of spacedpressure-sensitive labels thereon, whereby the labels are successivelyremoved from said web as said web passes over said bar, first sensingmeans for detecting the presence and absence of an article gripped bysaid first pinch roll means, means responsive to said first sensingmeans for driving said feed roll means when an article is detected atsaid first pinch roll means, second sensing means for detecting movementof an article from said first pinch roll means to said second pinch rollmeans, means responsive to said second sensing means for actuating saiddrive means to thereby advance said web, and means responsive to theadvancement of a single label across said peel bar to stop said drivemeans and the advancement of said web.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,547,537 7/1925 Vidaver 156-3613,429,764 2/1969 Bragga l56361 3,335,047 8/1967 Wilkes 156521 RALPH S.KENDALL, Primary Examiner C. WESTON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

